Four workers dead after being hit by train in Japan
The train collided with the four men at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, authorities say.
Four laborers in Japan lost their lives after being hit by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station, situated north of Tokyo, according to official reports.
The incident, which involved a limited express train—among Japan's fastest—occurred at approximately 10:46 local time (01:46 GMT). Local media indicated that the workers were engaged in removing weeds from the train tracks when the collision took place.
Upon the arrival of emergency personnel, three workers were discovered pinned beneath the train, while a fourth was found on the platform, police stated.
As a result of the accident, service on the Tobu Nikko Line has been halted, as confirmed by the railway company managing the line.
A passenger aboard the train informed the Japanese public broadcaster NHK that they perceived an "unusual noise" just prior to the train's emergency stop. He recounted that passengers remained on the train for some time as staff announced an investigation into the noise.
NHK identified the train involved as a limited express train, which ranks as the second-fastest type of train in Japan, surpassed only by the Shinkansen, or "bullet train."
Typically, an employee would be positioned nearby to alert track workers of oncoming trains; however, the circumstances surrounding this protocol on Thursday morning at the time of the accident remain uncertain, as reported by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
Fatal train accidents are uncommon in Japan, a nation heavily reliant on its extensive railway system.